The invention relates to a swing training devices for golf clubs and more particularly to a training golf club which is adjustable for the swing speed and strength of the user.
The prior art is replete with swing training devices which are designed to aid a golfer in the development of a proper swaying. For example, weight attachments for golf clubs have been designed to adjust the center gravity or the weight of the golf club during practice to improve coordination and timing. Such devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,006, issued Jul. 7, 1998 to Isaac Gruber and U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,921, issued Nov. 13, 1990 to Richard Silvera.
Gruber discloses an attachment for golf clubs consisting of two weighted elements which are clamped together around the shaft of a golf club. The device can be clamped any point along the shaft to add weight nearer the club head or the grip to vary the center of gravity of the club.
Silvera discloses a device comprising a tube which is clamped on the shaft of a golf club and which contains a spring loaded weight. As the club is swung, centrifugal force urges the weight axially in the tube toward the club head and the user feels increased torque during the swing.
Another device designed to indicate if the user is generating sufficient club head speed is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,634, issued Feb. 9, 1999 to Choi et al. This device comprises a piston located in a housing at the club head. A spring urges the piston upwardly and swinging clubs at proper speed develops centrifugal force which causes a piston to act against the spring and to be displaced toward the club head. When the piston is sufficiently displaced an audible click can be heard and, additionally, an electrical circuit is activated to light a bulb to provide a visual indication of the proper club head speed.
The prior art devices, although effective for some users, are not effective universally because many users generate different club head speed. The swing force necessary to obtain the proper indication or feel from these devices is preset by the force of the springs in the device or by the weight of the device. Thus, some golfers may not generate the force and speed required to activate the devices while others generate too much club head speed and force for the device. In the same fashion, it is difficult to adjust the weights in the purely weighted devices. Thus, users who are both and below average in strength and swing speed derive little or no benefit from these training devices. In fact such devices may actually be detrimental to the proper swing tempo and swing speed of such individuals by causing them either to over swing or underswing in order to receive an indication of proper swing speed from the training device.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a swing training device which can be adjusted to compensate for the strength and swing speed of the the user. In this manner the user could use the training device to develop the proper tempo for their personal swing speed and strength and avoid under swinging or overswinging.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a swing training golf club to aid golfers in the development of the proper swing speed in accordance with the individual""s physical characteristics.
Another object of the invention is to provide a golf swing trainer which has the feel of a regular club and that emits an audible signal when the proper centrifugal force is generated by the user.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a golf swing trainer that can be adjusted for the strength of the user.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by a golf swing training device comprising a golf club having a head, shaft and grip. The club head is adapted for training by the provision of a piston assembly in the club head. A piston is disposed in the housing of the piston assembly and is movable therein in a direction parallel to the shaft of the club. A spring loaded detent acts against the piston to retain it in an upper position in the piston assembly. Air vents in the top and sole of the club head communicate with the piston assembly to maintain atmospheric pressure within the piston assembly and to prevent any resistance against the piston which would be caused by compressing air in the piston assembly.
As the club is swung the speed of the club head generates centrifugal force that, if sufficient, overcomes the retaining force of the detent and allows the piston to move downward in that piston assembly housing toward the sole of the club. When the piston strikes a floor of the piston assembly an audible click can be heard. The click should be heard as the club head travels through the hitting zone, that is the lower part of the swing arc, indicating that the user has developed the proper swing speed and tempo. Improper swing tempo will result no sound being heard or in the click being heard while the club is descending before the hitting zone or after the club passes through the hitting zone during fall through.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein he like reference characters represent like elements.